Reducing Preventable Deaths: Where should the focus be?

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By Richard A. McCartan, Posted by Rob Kall (about the submitter) Page 2 of 2 page(s)

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USA Today recently reported that drug companies for financial reasons are unwilling to develop drugs specifically designed for the 12,400 children who contract cancer each year. Experts are calling for a public-private partnership to jump-start new development of these drugs that could save many lives and reduce the damaging side effects associated with current treatment options for these children.

Hospitals are licensed by government and subject to standards. But a recent investigation by the Chicago Tribune found that in 2000, 103,000 deaths occurred from hospital-grown infections, 75 percent of which were preventable. These infections are caused by unsanitary facilities, germ-laden instruments, unwashed hands, and other hygiene lapses. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospital germs are the fourth leading cause of mortality in this country, behind heart disease, cancer, and strokes. The Centers claim that simple adherence to clean-hand policies would alone save 20,000 patients each year. Dr. Barry Farr, president of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, calls the extent of the problem unbelievable and unknown to the public.

Experts agree that the government could be much more proactive in promoting programs that address root cases of disease and thereby significantly reduce deaths from cancer, obesity, and heart disease.

In addition, a recent investigation by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch found that many thousands of elderly die each year in nursing homes from preventable causes such as abuse, malnutrition, and dehydration. Experts agree that the chief causes for these preventable deaths include lack of staff, poor staff pay, low government cost reimbursement, and lax government regulation and prosecution.

Finally, there are many other causes of preventable death that could be reduced by more public education, better warnings, and, in some cases, increased regulation. According to the National Center for Health statistics, in 2002, Americans suffered many types of preventable deaths, including from falls (16,257), accidental firearm discharge (762), firearm assault (17,638), drowning (3,447), breathing disruptions (5,517), exposure to smoke (3,159), poisoning (17,550), suicide (31,655), and contact with machinery (652).

In conclusion, the United States has declared an aggressive War of Terror primarily to thwart another terrorist attack that kills our citizens. While the effort demonstrates America's incredible resolve and ingenuity, it also requires massive resources that alternatively could be used to reduce other causes of preventable death.

In reality, the chance of dying in the United States from a terrorist attack is extremely small when compared to numerous other causes of preventable death from traffic accidents, medical problems, and other mishaps. Policy-makers should carefully examine how the county can best allocate its finite resources to most effectively reduce the total number of preventable deaths.

Mr. McCartan is a lawyer and free-lance writer, who lives in Olympia, Washington

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